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13 Care of People with Mental Health Problems
This section of our curriculum guide refers to statement 13, Care of People with Mental Health Problems, produced by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).
Mental health problems in primary care are common. The range of mental health problems encountered by a GP is large, and includes for example: adjustment reactions (normal responses to external circumstances); short- or longer-term disability associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety (which can be defined psychiatrically with diagnoses such as depression, but can also be seen as socially constructed); and schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (with a clearer biological basis, more easily defined from symptoms, but also with significant social meaning and consequences). These can coexist with each other, and also with problems related to consumption of alcohol or drugs, and with problems resulting from difficult traits and personality types.
Here we have collated key articles from our journals to help you meet the curriculum requirements in this area.
Latest articles

GP training: Dealing with patients experiencing psychological distress
Written in the form of a trainee's reflective learning log entry, this article highlights...

Preventing suicide in children and young people: What can GPs do?
Dr Maria Michail and Dr Faraz Mughal provide some practical tips that GPs should...

Guidance update: NICE guidelines on depression in adults
Dr Toni Hazell explains NICE guidance on depression in adults.

GPs spend one working day in five on mental health
GPs spend over a day's worth of consultations per working week treating patients...

One in three dementia cases preventable through lifestyle changes
Researchers have urged GPs to 'be ambitious about prevention' after finding that...

Clinical review: Eating disorders
The diagnosis and management of eating disorders in primary care, covering validated...

Antidepressant prescribing rising faster than any other drug
Almost 4m more antidepressants were prescribed in the community in 2016 over the...

Self-harm in children and young people
How to recognise the signs and symptoms of self-harm in young people and the common...

Group-based mindfulness therapy 'as effective' as individual CBT
Group mindfulness therapy is as effective as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)...

Insulin resistance linked to 'faster cognitive decline' and impaired memory
Insulin resistance is associated with accelerated cognitive decline, poor cognitive...

Generalised anxiety disorder: clinical review
An overview of the diagnosis and management of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD),...

Extend GP mental health training to improve eating disorder care
The RCGP has refuted claims that GPs are not trained to treat patients with eating...